Judging by the amount of money that sponsors have of recent been pumping into football, it is clear that lack of funds is becoming the least problem in Botswana football. But trouble comes from incompetent football administrators who are bringing the game into disrepute by their inefficiency. The blatant and many blunders committed by the current Botswana Football Association (BFA) office are bound to jeopardise future funding.
The failure to cater for the welfare and safety of match officials is another blight on the BFA office. For long, referees have complained of poor payment for their services provided under very risky conditions. There are instances when referees have been violently assaulted, as was the case recently in Orapa.
The football administrators, as usual, have been slow in addressing the problems of poor pay and security. One shudders to think of what is likely to happen should referees decide to boycott the games at the last minute, in a fully packed stadium. In such circumstances, rioting is likely to erupt with devastating outcome. The football authorities must attend promptly to problems bedeviling the game. Otherwise, the country will one day live to regret when worse disaster strikes. Then it will be too late. But the sad fact would have been that BFA had been told time and again where the problem is and what to do. At this time, an organisation which has been in operation for several years should not be making basic errors in straight forward matters like sponsorship contracts and fixtures.
These problems are a manifestation of lack of professionalism on the part football administrators.
Today’s Thought
It is a mistake to suppose that men succeed through success; they much oftener succeed through failures. Precept, study, advice, and example could never have taught them so well as failure has done.
- Samuel Smiles
